Top 100 Greatest Music Albums
by 
av1976 
This is my attempt at a list of my favorite albums of all time. I have tried to stay away from compilations, live albums, soundtracks, best of albums, etc. Depending on the mood I am in, ranks for individual entries may vary widely. There is quite a bit of music I have not been introduced to or heard enough to appear on this list, so please do not be offended if your favorite musicians are not represented here. This is a work in progress, and will continue to be updated.
- Chart updated: 06/16/2020 16:45
- (Created: 08/02/2011 05:34).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 31 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 87 out of 100 (from 68 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Buy album 
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,502
Rank in 2001:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,768
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
In my opinion, one of the most underrated albums of all time
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
1974
Appears in:
Rank Score:
814
Rank in 1974:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/30/2012]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,261
Rank in 2002:
Rank in 2000s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
1977
Appears in:
Rank Score:
22,599
Rank in 1977:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
1968
Appears in:
Rank Score:
37,249
Rank in 1968:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
796
Rank in 1971:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
1969
Appears in:
Rank Score:
57,231
Rank in 1969:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/02/2011]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,165
Rank in 1975:
Rank in 1970s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 02/02/2014]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,210
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 20 | 20% | |
| 1970s | 33 | 33% | |
| 1980s | 12 | 12% | |
| 1990s | 19 | 19% | |
| 2000s | 14 | 14% | |
| 2010s | 2 | 2% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Beatles | 5 | 5% | |
| Pink Floyd | 5 | 5% | |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 5% | |
| Rush | 5 | 5% | |
| Tool | 4 | 4% | |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4% | |
| King Crimson | 4 | 4% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 62nd to 61st Doolittle by Pixies |
| Up 1 from 42nd to 41st Red by King Crimson |
| Up 1 from 19th to 18th The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 8 from 11th to 19th The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico |
| Down 1 from 41st to 42nd Caress Of Steel by Rush |
| Down 1 from 61st to 62nd The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground |
| New entries |
|---|
| Jar Of Flies by Alice In Chains |
| In/Casino/Out by At The Drive-In |
| Relationship Of Command by At The Drive-In |
| Fear Inoculum by Tool |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Dirt by Alice In Chains |
| The Joshua Tree by U2 |
| Workingman's Dead by Grateful Dead |
| Undertow by Tool |
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 68 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 11/25/2025 17:03 | thekrauter | 107 | 89/100 |
| ! | 01/18/2022 07:34 | KineticEchoes02 | 111 | 88/100 |
| ! | 02/22/2021 08:35 |  ssteve | 207 | 92/100 |
| ! | 02/22/2021 03:34 |  Rhyner | 1,456 | 99/100 |
| ! | 02/21/2021 21:25 |  pjohnsongolf | 272 | 89/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 16% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 87.3/100, a mean average of 87.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 87.5/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 8.5.
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums favourites
Showing all 5 members who have added this chart as a favourite
Top 100 Greatest Music Albums comments
Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 31 comments |
Most Helpful First | Newest First | Positive Sentiment First |
Longest Comments First
(Only showing comments with -2 votes or higher. You can alter this threshold from your profile page. Manage Profile)
From thekrauter 11/25/2025 17:07 | #311830
Outstanding albums!!!
In the end the chart is just a bit to redundant to rate it higher.
I hope you add some "surprises"
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From SamNassiri98 03/12/2018 18:20 | #210762
Mixed bag
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
WildHorses 08/23/2017 02:44 | #196582
WildHorses 08/23/2017 02:44 | #196582
Sir, you have impeccable taste!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
LedZep 08/22/2017 20:40 | #196570
LedZep 08/22/2017 20:40 | #196570
One of the most interesting charts I've seen. Heavy on great prog, some legendary grunge and 70s rock thrown in and also rap choices... Too good...
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From platus 08/22/2017 17:02 | #196565
Very good chart!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From vancevisuals 08/22/2017 15:38 | #196553
Really good chart, a lot in common
Good to see Starless & Bible Black up there as it is my favorite Crimson album as well.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Josian 08/22/2017 11:54 | #196547
Nice chart, thanks. Many classics and interesting picks. A little dominated by certain bands, but then again fairly so.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From Johnnyo 08/22/2017 11:54 | #196546
Originally gave this an 85 but just re-evaluated and really got to be a 90.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
TheHolyKiwi 08/22/2017 10:34 | #196539
TheHolyKiwi 08/22/2017 10:34 | #196539
Good chart, maybe a bit too artist heavy for my tastes.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From mightyram 10/09/2014 19:16 | #123819
For work in progress I would this is a good and well developed list. God choices, good range, bit leans a bit too much towards heavier rock for my personal taste, but what do I know. Like it.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
| Best Ever Artists | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Beatles | |
| 2. Radiohead | |
| 3. Pink Floyd | |
| 4. David Bowie | |
| 5. Bob Dylan | |
| 6. Led Zeppelin | |
| 7. The Rolling Stones | |
| 8. Arcade Fire | |
| 9. Nirvana | |
| 10. Neil Young | |
| 11. The Velvet Underground | |
| 12. Kendrick Lamar | |
| 13. Miles Davis | |
| 14. The Smiths | |
| 15. The Beach Boys | |
| 16. R.E.M. | |
| 17. Kanye West | |
| 18. Pixies | |
| 19. Bruce Springsteen | |
| 20. Jimi Hendrix |
